Clamping mechanism for machine tools



"screw 15 for securing the collar Patented May 15, 1923.

wIL LI i/in. rfionlnn, or pm mmsm',ji em ytvam assienonmo CORPORATION or, rEnNsyLvAnrA. y

" sE L Rsj-An'nooMPANY, rnconronnrnn, or rHILAnEnrnIA, PENNSYLVANIA; n

CLAMPINGMEGHANI'SM Foe vinonmn roots.

- Application filed July '20, 1921; Serial No. 486,229.;

To aZZ'w/wmimam concern: 1

Be it known that I, lVILLI-AMII. T-Honnn, a citizen of the. United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphiayand State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clamping Mechanism for Machine Tools, of which the fole lowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had 'to'the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. Y 7

This invention relates to an improvement in. clamp actuating mechanismfor tool supports. for machine tools. such "as shown in the patent to George H. Benzon, Jr., No.- 904,922,

dated November 24, 1908, and isdesigned to. provide simple and effective mechanism of this character which: can readily be adjusted when first "applying the device,-as well as for adjusting to compensate for awe-arfil Q Fig.1 is a plan "view of a cross-rail and guides of a planer in which I have shown one form of my improvement for clamping-the cross-rail to its guides. 3

Fig. 2 is an end view on a larger scale. In Fig. 1 of the drawings, the reference character 5 designates guides for the crossrail 6 for supporting the usual tool head, not shown. The cross-rail is raised and-lowered in theusual manner by screw shafts 7 which engage threaded lugs 8 connected to the cross-rail. Connected to the cross-rail 6' on each end thereof, one above the other, are two bearings 9, only one being shown on each end. I ing is a shaft 10. Connectedto each shaft at one end thereof is a crank 11, while the other ends of the shafts are provided with teeth which engage similarteeth in one face of a nut 12. The nuts 12 engage threaded portions of screws 13 which are threaded into openings in the cross rail and are fixed relative thereto. Mounted on each of the shafts 10 is a collar 14. provided with a set I in position on the shaft, and which collar retains clutch teeth inengagement with each other to rotate the nut when the shaft is rotated. 16 are clamping members, there being one on each screw, between thenut 12, the crossrail 6, and a flange 17, on the guide 5, and

which are arranged to clamp the cross-rail in position on the guideswhen the nuts 12 are jammed against the members 16 by the rota-- the upperportion of F igLj2 Turnably mounted in each bear tion in one directionof the cranksllpand free the cross-rail when the 1 cranks are ro- .tated in the other direction. Thesecranks are oscillated by mechanism similar to that shown in the above mentioned patent orthat l8,"w.hich is connected to the crossrai-l6 by thescrews 18. The inner end'ofeachishaft' 101s recessed as indicatedindotted lines.- on

for the reception ofthe nu-t e'ndof screw 13,-if; thescrew's should be of sufficient: length to project beyonditheir nuts 12.

secured "in position, in alignment with: the

screws. The clamping members 16 andan'uts 12- are then positioned and the ;nuts,; may]: be

drawn home to clamp the parts in position.

The shafts 10 are then inserted through the bearings 9 and their, respectivecollars 14. The teeth on the ends of the shafts are engaged with the'teeth on their-respective nuts in such a manner that each crank will be placed at itsbest workable angle. The collars 14 are then secured in position. to theshafts. The crank u to a suitable source of pressure pp y 19 designates a cylinder having piston 23 in the cylinder l9, and 24; is a stufling box in the cylinder head to form av actuating mechanism 18 then connected to the cranks and coupled a head 20 which is connected to the crank 11' on the lower shaft 1O by means of a connecting rod 21. 22 is a connecting rod connected to the tight joint between a reduced portion on the piston and the upper cylinder head.v 25 and 26'are connections to the bottom andtop of v the cylinder for controlling the admission of from the" cylinder and the pipe 26 piston upward and the cylinder downward and cause the nuts 12 to exert pressure on the members 16. When it is desired to release the clamps. pressure is admitted through pipe 26 and the pipe 25 is opened to exhaust to cause the reverse movement of'the piston and cylinder and consequently the; reverse In assembling the par'ts, the screws :13 are 7 seated in the cross-rail, and the ,bearingseareg Patent is movement of; the nuts to free the mem bers12affl The advantages of my invention result fromthe provision ofa crank actuated screw cla-mplfor clamping a tool support for a machine tool to its supporting which the crank and one of the screw members are connected to each other-in such a manner that they can readily be adjusted with relation to each other to place in its best working; position with relation to its actuating mechanism for applying and releasing the clamp. 1

Having now fully described my invention,

whatI claim and desire to protect by Letters 1. The combination with a tool support or .a-machinetooliand its guide, of a clamp for ing'such that said members can be adjusted circumferentially with relation to each other i to :placethe crank in its best working position with relation to its actuating me hanism. 1 s

2. A clamping device of the character de guide, 111

the crank scribed comprisinga fixed screw, a movable clamplng member on "the screw, a nut on the screw for engaglng the clamping member,a rock shaft in a-xlal' alignmentwith the screw, a bearing for' saids'haft, a crank on the shaft, interconnectingJdrlvmg,teeth on the end of the'shaft and the m ter-ranged to permit circumferential adjustment of. the

shaft and the nut, and removable means on the shaft for retaining the teeth inengagement with each other.

8. A clampingdevice of the character described comprisinga fixed screw, a movable clamping member on the screw, a nut on the screw for engaging the clamping membem'a rock shaft in axial alignment with'the screw,

abearing for said shaft, a crank on said shaft at one end of the bearing arranged to prevent endwise movement of the shaft-in one direction, annularly arranged interconand one face of the nut, said teeth being: arranged to permit the shaft to beadjusted circumferentially with relation to'the nut. and a collar secured to the shaft at the end of the bearing opposite the crank to prex' 'ent endwisemoven'ient of the shaft in the other direction when the collar is secured thereto. In testimony of whlch lnvention, I hare necting'teeth on the other end of theshaft 3f hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, Pa,

on this 18th day-of July, 1921. M WILLIAM THORNE; 

